Rockefeller Dies In Meridian Crash

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Dr. Richard Rockefeller, nephew of Nelson Rockefeller and the son of the oldest living member of the influential family, died when the Piper Meridian he was flying crashed shortly after takeoff from Westchester County Airport Friday morning. According to the Daily Telegraph, Rockefeller had spent the previous evening eating dinner with his 99-year-old father, David, the brother of former New York Governor and Vice President Nelson Rockefeller. The younger Rockefeller, 65, took off in fog from Westchester and crashed after hitting trees in Purchase, N.Y., near White Plains Airport. The Daily Mail said visibility was about a quarter of a mile. Rockefeller was on his way to his home in Falmouth, Maine, and was alone.

The Daily Telegraph said initial reports said there were no distress calls from Rockefeller's aircraft. He was described by a family spokesman as an experienced pilot. The FAA registry lists him as a private pilot with an instrument rating. Rockefeller was well known for his non-profit activities as the long-time chairman of the U.S. advisory board for Doctors Without Borders and as president of the Maine Coast Heritage Trust.

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